The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
The Emerging U.S.-China Détente
English Summary
The article argues that U.S.-China relations are shifting from a zero-sum 'strategic competition' narrative toward a pragmatic 'constructive strategic stability.' This détente is sustained not only by high-level agreements but primarily by powerful structural forces, including the prohibitive cost of total economic decoupling and the catastrophic risks of military conflict, which mandate interdependence. For policymakers, the implication is that the focus must be on building a stable 'floor' by reinforcing concrete mechanisms, such as improving military-to-military communications and reducing economic friction. This structural imperative suggests that the current period of stability is likely to endure, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
中文摘要
本文論述美中關係正從零和的「戰略競爭」敘事，轉向更為務實的「建設性戰略穩定」。這種關係緩和不僅源於高層級的協定，更主要受到強大的結構性力量所維持，包括完全經濟脫鉤的巨大成本，以及軍事衝突的災難性風險，這些因素共同要求雙方必須保持相互依賴。對於政策制定者而言，其啟示是，重點必須放在透過強化具體機制來建立穩定的「底線」（floor），例如改善軍事對軍事溝通和減少經濟摩擦。這種結構性必然要求表明，即使在持續的地緣政治緊張局勢下，當前的穩定期也極有可能持續。
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